According to the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), a quiet revolution is going on in America. A 2003 Harris poll commissioned by VRG confirmed that while nearly 5 million people in the U.S. are vegetarians, an additional 30-40 percent of the country's consumers regularly eat meatless items. In a 2003 Vegetarian Resource Group Harris Interactive survey, a majority of the vegetarians said they never eat meat, poultry, fish/seafood, dairy products, eggs, or honey – thus more half the vegetarians surveyed can be classified as vegans. While 2.8 percent of those surveyed said they never eat meat, poultry, or fish/seafood, about 6 percent of the vegetarians polled said they never eat poultry or red meat. Ten percent of 18-29 and 25-34 year olds also indicated they never eat meat. Even the food industry has begun adding meatless options to their offerings.

The increasing popularity and health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the new USDA Food Pyramid also reflect decreased consumption of meat, poultry and fish among health-conscious consumers in the U.S. population. USDA data indicates that in 2002 Americans consumed, on average, 18 pounds less red meat than in 1970. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, he likelihood of entertaining vegetarians (of some type) or serving meatless meals aboard your boat increases every year!

First, let's define the many categories that encompass the term vegetarian. Often we hear people say that they no longer eat red meat, just chicken and fish, so they consider themselves vegetarians. These are not true vegetarians, but may be “sometimes or mostly” vegetarians that often consumer plant based foods but are known to eat meat, poultry, fish and dairy. Vegetarians generally avoid animal flesh and emphasize plant-based foods that consist of whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Within the category of vegetarians are:

Lacto-ovo vegetarians, who eat no meat, poultry, or fish, but include dairy products and eggs in the diet along with plant-based foods.

Strict vegetarians eat no animal flesh, no dairy products, or no eggs, and follow a strict plant-based diet for health or other reasons.

Vegans (vee-gun)who consume no products that derive from animals or use animals in their production such as honey (because bees are killed in the process of producing honey), refined sugar (because it is clarified over animal bone char in the final steps of the process that makes the sugar white) or gelatin (made from bones, skin and connective tissue of animals.

Fruitarians who consumer a simpler diet consisting only of seed-bearing fruits and some foods that are technically considered fruits, but have been used as vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, peppers, avocados, nuts, seeds, greens and olives.

Given the wide range of vegetarians, there are several considerations in entertaining guests who have vegetarian preferences. First, what kind of vegetarians are they? While “sometimes or mostly” vegetarians (those who often eat vegetarian but are known to eat meat, chicken, fish, dairy) are likely to be comfortable eating most anything you serve, lacto-ovo vegetarians (who eat dairy products) will not eat animal flesh at all but they will eat dishes with cheese, eggs and milk (e.g. macaroni and cheese).

Vegans, however, will eat neither animal flesh nor products derived from animals such as eggs, milk, butter, cheese, seasonings (Worcestershire or anchovy paste), sauces (fish sauce, hollandaise, mayonnaise) and broths (beef, fish, chicken) containing meat, poultry or fish by products and flavorings. In some cases, vegans are offended by the sight or smell of animal products on the table. You will need to find out these details, so that you can craft a menu that makes them comfortable.

Second, if your guests shun all animal products, you may want to provide a meal with complementary proteins. Animal foods such as meat, dairy, eggs, poultry, and fish are complete proteins because they contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids. Plant proteins tend to be limited in one or more essential amino acids. For example, beans are low in the amino acid lysine, while rice is rich in lysine. Vegetarians, especially vegans, must eat protein foods that have complementary amino acid levels so that the essential amino acids missing from one protein food can be supplied by another. While it was once believed that complementary proteins had to be consumed at every meal, we now know that that this is not the case as long as brown rice, corn, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and wheat are consumed within each 24 hour period, their protein needs should easily be met.

There are several ways you can accommodate both meat-eaters and vegetarians that offers everyone choices without calling undue attention to their individual preferences.

Indian Thali, similar to Rijstafel, but each diner has a plate of rice and breads and assorted tiny dishes of vegetables, meats and pickles to make their meal

What follows is three menus for vegetarian meals aboard with recipes. Some of these dishes may be prepared in advance, frozen and cooked on the boat. Some of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks and websites may offer you additional ideas for delicious vegetarian meals, for example:

www.foodnetwork.com - Searchable site with great recipes from Food Network’s talented chefs. Recipes are rated by visitors.

www.epicurious.com - Searchable site with recipes from Gourmet, Self and Bon Appetit magazines. Recipes are rated by readers and very helpful ideas and comments offered.

www.molliekatzen.com - Mollie Katzen is author of the Moosewood Cookbooks from the famous vegetarian restaurant in NY State. Her site includes cookbooks, recipes for vegetarians, and food preparation tips. Look in “archives” for all her recipes.

http://www.vegetarianepicure.com - Anna Thomas presents vegetarian cookery as rich cuisine providing good menus and inexhaustible possibilities for the connoisseur of good food. Recipes from her books, The Vegetarian Epicure I, II and III plus additional recipes are located in the “Letter” section of the website under: Newsletter and recipe archive.

Mushrooms with Garlic and Oil
2 Tbsps olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lb. white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
½ tsp of salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig thyme
¼ cup Spanish sherry
1 tbsps chopped parsley
Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until garlic is light brown (30 seconds), add mushrooms, salt and pepper and leave them undisturbed in the pan for 1-2 minutes so they brown on one side. Turn mushrooms over and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Repeat until mushrooms are golden brown all over. Add thyme and sherry and cook until sherry is completely evaporated. Serve in attractive bowl with toothpicks or spoon and top with parsley. Guests can eat mushrooms as is or use as topping for bread slices.

In a large bowl beat together eggs and salt. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet; cook the onions until soft. Add potatoes and cook over medium-heat until tender without browning, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the eggs reduce the heat to low and cook omelet slowly until golden and firm enough to flip. Turn firm tortilla by inverting it onto a flat plate and sliding back into pan and cook until done. It should still be soft inside, and about 1-inch thick. Serve hot or cold.

Variation: Replace potatoes with 1 cup artichoke dip (above)

Hot Artichoke Dip
You will immediately recognize this simple dip whose roots are in a classic Spanish holiday dish - Artichoke Tart. Spread on crackers or bread and use any leftovers to make an artichoke tortilla (see above).
8 oz. artichoke hearts in oil, roughly chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup parmesan cheese grated
Salt and pepper
Fresh chopped parsley
Set oven to 350 degrees; mix artichokes, mayonnaise and parmesan in ovenproof pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat for 10-15 minutes until dip is bubbling and golden brown. If you do not want to use the oven, heat in microwave (2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted) or in a saucepan on the stovetop. Place dip in attractive bowl and top with parsley.
Note: Use leftovers in tortilla – delightful!

Cheese-filled Bread Loaf
This tapa combines hot bread, melted goat cheese and walnuts and it is simple to prepare. Servings: 8
1 medium-sized round loaf of bread (whole grain, honey wheat or herb breads are terrific)
1 cup goat cheese, brie or other cheese that melts well
1 cup shelled walnuts
Choose a round loaf of bread with a high top. Cut a slice off the top horizontally to serve as a lid and set aside. Empty out the center of the loaf using a sharp knife to make enough room for the slice of cheese. Cube bread from the center of the loaf to use for dipping. Melt the cheese on the stove top or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until melted, and then pour into center of loaf. Top the cheese with walnuts, cover the bread with the bread lid. Bake at 390 degrees for 10 minutes or until the bread is warm and crusty. Serve immediately. Each person simply dips bread cubes or cuts off a piece of the bread “bowl” and dips it in the cheese and walnut mixture in the middle.

Mix garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. If you are using a blender, place garlic mixture and the other ingredients in blender bowl and run on high for 10-15 seconds. If you are making soup by hand, simply mix ingredients in a bowl. Add tomato juice and vodka. Check the seasoning and add more salt, pepper or vinegar if needed. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl or pitcher. Cover it and leave it in the fridge. Place gazpacho in attractive bowls or wine glasses with spoons and place garnishes in individual small bowls on the table and encourage guests to serve themselves.

Variations: If you want a creamier consistency to the soup, slowly add ¼ cup olive oil to the soup while in the blender. Alternatively, you may want to top soup with a dollop of sour cream, crème fraiche or plain yogurt.
Seafood gazpacho: A delicious treat for non-vegetarians is topping the soup with cooked and peeled shrimp and/or lump crabmeat.

Heat the broth with the saffron, paprika and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Keep broth warm and remove the onion saving it for another use. In a large oven-proof skillet (I use a 12” cast iron skillet), heat the oil. Add the chopped onion, scallions, garlic, and pimentos and sauté until the onion is wilted. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Add chopped parsley and bay leaves. Stir in the hot broth, wine, tomatoes, and rice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat about 10 minutes. Take off heat; add chickpeas and green peas to rice mixture then place the pan into preheated oven at 325 F, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 10 minutes. To serve, decorate with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

Serve with fresh bread, and for non-vegetarians, you may wish to offer any or all the following: sautéed shrimp, chicken, clams and chorizo or other sausages on separate platter.

Escalivada – Roasted or grilled marinated vegetables
Escalivada comes from the Catalan word escalivar, which means "to char", because the vegetables were traditionally cooked whole over embers of a fire. A grill or roasting in a hot oven is ideal for making this dish. Escalivada may serve as an entrée with crusty bread or as an accompaniment to a main course. Serve warm or at room temperature.
1 red bell pepper
1 medium eggplant
1 large Spanish onion
3 large ripe tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
½ tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Brush whole vegetables with olive oil and lay in a shallow baking pan. Cook in oven or grill at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, then remove eggplant, pepper and tomatoes and set aside. Leave the onion in the oven for 20 minutes more.
When cool enough to handle, peel the vegetables with your fingers (peels will be soft and loose) being careful to retain any juices as you peel them. Seed the pepper, cut off tops of tomatoes and eggplant and peel and trim the ends of onion. Using your hands or a knife, tear or cut the vegetables into small strips. Slice the onion into rings and mix vegetables and place in serving dish. Dress with remaining olive oil and sherry vinegar; salt and pepper to taste.

Make the marinade:
In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, the vinegars, the rosemary, the basil, the oregano, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil and whisk the marinade until well-blended. In a large bowl toss together vegetables with marinade, then chill covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. Transfer the antipasto to a platter, garnish it with the parsley and/or basil, and serve it at room temperature.

GRILLED PIZZAS
I learned this recipe from Bill Parlatore, Editor of PassageMaker Magazine and I am hooked on it. We purchase fresh pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and grill these pizzas on a pizza stone preheated to 400 degrees in the grill. Thin crust pizzas take about 3 minutes to cook while medium thick pizzas cook for 5-6 minutes. Small pizza stones for boat grills are available. For convenience, we use a pizza peel at home but a large spatula works well on smaller boat grills. If you don’t have Trader Joe’s near you, make your own dough in a food processor (recipe below), or buy fresh dough from a local pizza shop or look for frozen dough at your grocers. I haven’t tried Boboli or other pre-cooked pizza crusts on the grill but they should pick up some of the smoky flavor characteristic of this dish.
Makes 6 - 8” pizzas

Buy or make dough and roll into pizzas:
Divide into 6 balls. Roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 7 inches in diameter) on a surface (wood or countertop) dusted with cornmeal. (I like to make it directly on the pizza peel). Lightly brush dough with olive oil.

For red pizza:
Top with 1/2 tsp garlic, then 2 tbsps of tomato sauce, toppings of your choice and 2 oz. (4 Tbsps) of cheese (single type or mixed)

Grill: When the fire is hot (400 degrees) carefully transfer dough, sliding it off pizza peel or cutting board with a large spatula onto the pizza stone (or if you are experienced, just shake pizza off the peel onto the stone) . If you have trouble transferring pizza to stone, simply lift pizza gently and scatter a little cornmeal underneath it in several places. Grill until undersides are browned, 3 to 4 minutes and the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Oven: When you cook pizza in the oven on pre-heated pizza stone, it may take a minute or two longer to brown the bottom, keep checking it so it doesn’t burn.

If you don’t want to use a pizza stone, use a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan to cook pizza dough.

Put dough in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Form dough into pizzas ahead of time: Punch down dough and divide into 6 balls. Roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 7 inches in diameter) on a lightly floured surface. Brush off excess flour, then transfer dough to a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover surface of dough completely with plastic wrap. Roll out remaining balls of dough in same manner, covering with plastic wrap and stacking rounds. Wrap baking sheet with more plastic wrap. Chill dough until firm, about 2 to 4 hours or overnight.

To prepare the vegetables (mushroom, eggplant and zucchini): Cut off the stems and slice 1/2-inches thick. Season vegetables with oil, salt and pepper and place in one layer on cookie sheets. Bake in the oven or on a grill at 350 for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. If you don’t want to use your grill or oven, coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium flame. Fry the eggplant and zucchini in a single layer, turning once, until brown on both sides– you will need to do this in batches, adding more oil, as necessary.

Red Sauce: Heat a sauté pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and minced garlic and onion. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes, add tomato sauce, red wine and cinnamon. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

White Sauce:
Dilute cornstarch in ½ cup cold water and set aside. Bring milk, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add diluted cornstarch, stirring as it thickens. Remove from heat. Add a tbsp of salt to the beaten eggs, and then add the eggs to the sauce mixing it well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Line the bottom of a square or rectangular glass or ceramic baking dish with the zucchini slices; spread 1/3 of the sauce evenly over the zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan and Repeat the layers again with the mushrooms and eggplant ending with a final layer of eggplant. Pour white sauce and any remaining cheese over top of vegetable mixture. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven to rack and let stand for 15 minutes. Cut into squares.